Burnout
by Goth
Summary: Only the beginning of senior year and some punk is already cat calling her in the mornings, peeking up her skirt in the afternoons and getting her to ditch. But maybe, she mused, it wasn't all that bad.
1. Prologue

(Rant: *sigh* I really didn't want to be tempted to do this…but after over a year of denial…I must admit I like TDI/A. And of course I have an imagination and enjoy reading spoofs. I would've been content if there were more than two or three decent stories on here that didn't switch from POV to POV or just generally didn't suck. Okay, maybe I'm being a little harsh with that, but seriously, you don't have to be a genius to form paragraphs and use spell-check. Anywho, before someone shoots me, I hope you enjoy. BTW, I know they were all sixteen on the show, so I interpreted that to mean sixteen-going-on-seventeen aka sophomore year had just ended, so that would make everyone seniors in this.)

Disclaimer: Just using these guys for my own amusement, nothing else. The only payment I receive is (hopefully) reviews. .P

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Prologue

A year after the conclusion of Total Drama Action, things had finally returned to normal for one Ontario teen as she readied for the first day of senior year. The seventeen year old pulled a brush through shot dyed hair, grateful of once again being know as the weird loner and not that "bitch that dumped her 'boyfriend' on national TV." To this day she still didn't get what the big deal was, the guy went bat shit and…nine is such an ugly number. Setting the brush down a little harder than necessary, she grabbed a tube of blue lipstick and finished the morning routine.

Gathering a few materials for the day, she stepped into the narrow hallway and pounded loudly on her brother's door, shouting for him to wake up fully aware that he started classes an hour later than her. At least he wouldn't be carpooling with her anymore…she loved her brother and all, but it wasn't healthy to listen to that emo crap every day. Now, she had full control of her radio and the music it played. Her brother responded with something incomprehensible and chucked something at the door. The older teen laughed and informed her brother that payback's a bitch.

She descended the stairs with ease and swung around the base, boots squeaking on the tile. Passing the small kitchen nook and her adjacent bedroom door, the teen arrived at rear of the small two story house.

"Mom?" Gwen called, poking her head out the sliding glass door. She scanned the deck and found the woman in question leaning against the railing, pulling on a cigarette. "Ugh, I thought you were quitting?"

"Never said when that was," the blonde woman laughed. "You leaving for school?" She turned toward her daughter with a smile.

"Yep, I should be home by one thirty."

Gwen's mother nodded. "Okay, be careful, have a good day."

An old white car sat in the driveway having definitely seen better days, but anything with four wheels and an engine was good for a seventeen year old. Gwen lived under no illusions and wasn't surprised that her first car was her mother's hand-me-down (matter of fact, this car had been her mom's first car, brand new in 1992).

_And so begins the first day of school, _Gwen thought as the car roared to life and she backed into the street. _Wonderful._

Gwen rode in silence, mostly enjoying the urban scenery as it changed into the city. Eventually, as the traffic thickened the road noise got to the teen and she switched to the radio, shuffling through a few stations until resting on the Morning News with Jennifer Brickwell. "I wonder how many times she's gonna mess up," the teen mumbled to a chameleon bobble-head on the dash.

_"The cast production of former reality shows, Total Drama Island and Action will be holding auditions at the Civic Center yesterday…I'm sorry, today. There will be auditions for the upcoming season Total Drama Dyin-Driving. Total Drama Driving." _Gwen snorted in laughter wondering why this woman was still allowed on the air. _"Some of you may remember the scandal that befell the reproduction of last season, when a teenager lost his leg during one of the challenges."_

Unable to stand another minute of the news she switched the radio off and pulled into the school parking lot. It was slowly starting to fill up, mostly seniors and juniors who started earlier than the other students. Though the parking lot was still relatively empty and out of female habit, Gwen went for the closet spot available. Just as she was turning into it, a large blue pickup cut her off to the point that it almost took out the car in the next space.

Her car's brakes squealed and the horn blared simultaneously at the oblivious jerk, out of ALL the open spots this ass just HAD to pick this one?! The driver of the truck flipped her off without so much as a second glance. Oh, she'd remember this. A bologna and mustard smothered truck was in this guy's future. Beaten, but not defeated she took off to find another spot to park while mulling over ideas on how to best extract revenge.

A few minutes later, Gwen grabbed her binder and the one book she thought would be needed. Glancing at her phone to make sure there was still enough time to grab a muffin and maybe some juice, she hurried toward the entrance slowing only once to inspect the truck from earlier, taking note of the pirate flag hung in the back. What a loser. Remembering the security cameras she decided against running a key along it.

As soon as she stepped into the large main foyer it was like summer had never even happened. The musty smell of old carpet and cheap cleaner tickled her nose, a sense of déjà vu washed over the teen as it always did on the first day. At least this would be the last first day of school for her…or at least until college started. She cleared her head, remembering the promise of a bland blueberry muffin with tangy grapefruit juice and headed to the cafeteria.

Contently seated at an empty table, Gwen picked at the muffin and sipped at her juice while going over her schedule. First period English, then onto Government before two hours of Advanced Automotive, homeroom, lunch and then finishing the day with Chemistry. She regretted forgoing Art, but she was pretty sure she'd learned everything possible from the high school art teacher. Plus, if Advanced Auto was even half as fun as Intro had been last year, it would be well worth it.

The bell rang signaling six minutes to class, the few occupants of the cafeteria filed out almost instantly. Gwen watched her fellow students leave with amusement, none of them were new here so what was the rush? She shook her head and gathered her things, taking care to toss the half eaten muffin out. The teen missed the garbage by a few feet and bent to pick the aforementioned muffin up when a lone cat call resounded through the-what should have been-empty building.

Her brown eyes narrowed at the immaturity of some people, but the snarky response died when a heavy arm draped around her shoulders. Screw the cat call, this was way worse.

"You have three seconds to get off of me before I-"

"Nice to see you too, Sunshine."

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(A/N: I hate ending with dialogue…but I'm testing this fic out, seeing if it'll gain any fuel. If not, oh well. I tired. Please let me know what you think. I'm very easy to amuse.)


	2. Chapter One: Procession

(A/N: Thank you all so much for all the wonderful feedback. I'm glad you guys enjoy this and barring any unforeseen circumstances *sudden and often painful bouts of writer's block* I will update regularly. Enjoy. PS-what is up with the shitty FF server?)

Disclaimer: Hmm, no…still poor.

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Chapter One

Procession

Gwen couldn't keep the smirk back as she sat through the boring introductions in First Period, she was just too excited. After leaving TDA, she purposely hadn't kept in touch with anyone since they were convinced she made Trent throw the challenges and when she threw one as a favor. As Geoff had so fondly put it, she "didn't leave many friends behind." Even after it was all said and done, she still didn't want to associate with people who would be so quick to jump to conclusions. The only one who hadn't held anything against her was Duncan, but she hadn't bothered to contact him because she was pretty sure Courtney would flip and sue for harassment. Plus, she kind of expected him to forget about her, like she had tried to forget everyone else. She never imagined that they would see one another again, let alone end up at the same school.

In Duncan's case, having an entire family in law enforcement worked out pretty well and they were able to _persuade_ the judge to shorten his sentence. Or so he had told her during their brief exchange before class. Since his grandparents lived in Ontario and he had no reputation here, it was a logical move. Although he assured her he was making one…apparently the Seven Eleven vandal had been no other than yours truly. He hadn't changed a bit and that far away grin grew thinking back to snacking on stolen cookies and watching a cheap slasher flick. Right after Trent had been voted off for cheating, she had been feeling sort of bad until a certain delinquent showed up with the perfect pick-me-up. Nothing perked this girl up more than cookies, blood and guts…the added company was also nice.

_Wow, I can't believe I forgot about that. _Completely ignoring the current assignment to interact with the others in a comparison scavenger hunt, she began to doodle on the parent signature form handed out earlier. _It's been a year though, I wonder if we're still even really friends. Kinda a lousy person for not wanting anything to do with anyone, including Duncan. I wonder if we have any classes together…that wou-_

"How's your scavenger hunt coming along Gwen?"

The teen startled accidently tossing her pen to the floor. She glanced up to meet the gaze of the plump English teacher. The woman stared at her intently waiting for an answer, her straggly brown hair sticking up in a static frenzy. "Um, good. Already done, Ms. Fry." She quickly tired to shuffle the paper out of sight, failing miserably.

Ms. Fry didn't look very convinced with the display. "Oh really? Would you like to share it with the class?" The student hesitated and didn't answer. "That's what I thought, get moving girlie."

Gwen silently groaned and grabbed the first sheet of paper off the desk, not even sure if it was the right one. She made her way to a corner and inspected some of her fellow peers, while keeping an eye on the teacher. Drawing all over the kindergarten level questionnaire (Who has the most pets in the class? What's the answer to number twelve's favorite color?) to make it look like she was doing something. Nobody bothered her and the teacher didn't come back for seconds. Eventually she found her way back to her desk and continued her doodle until the bell rang. As usual, she was the last one out the door in no particular hurry to get to second period.

By now, the rest of the school's population was starting their day and the halls were packed. Freshmen stood out as they lugged useless backpacks through the crowd. She shoulder her way through the jumbled mess and trudged up a flight of stairs. Passing by the restrooms she noticed a, for lack of a better word, different smell and even stopped for a moment. Brows furrowing questionably. Was someone…on the first day of school?! They'd just better hope the security guards aren't lurking around. Sweeping her eyes over the immediate crowd she realized she wasn't the only one who noticed. A group of freshmen giggled as they passed and whispered to each other about that time in eight grade…blah. The girl just shook her head and continued down the hall, reaching class as the minute warning bell signaled.

The classroom had ten rows of desks with ten to each row set up facing the entrance and the teacher's desk. Four large windows flanked the square room with a white board positioned closest to the door. The other wall had a felt board with various football promotions pinned up and desks pushed against it. She decided that would be the farthest away from everyone and took a seat at the front of the row. Settling sideways in a very comfortable fashion, she leaned her back against the wall and crossed her legs well prepared to be bored, but grateful all the same for having been placed in Mr. Webster's class again. This teacher had also been her history teacher last year and she knew that he could care less where everyone sat and would just make a seating chart as it was now.

An older man with an uncanny resemblance to an American President by the name of Harry Truman walked in once the final bell sounded. The heavy door clicked loudly behind him as he greeted the class with a hearty hello, taking time to mess with the resident varsity football players. He finished joking after a few minutes and introduced himself. Gwen took this opportunity to study the class, looking for a certain green mohawk among the many heads.

"Let's see, Rick, Bobby," Mr. Webster began taking roll call, checking off on a sheet as he looked up with every name he called to see if a hand raised. "Gwen, Rubin, Sarah, Dun-"

The door swung open, thudding against the wall and all eyes instantly fell on the new arrival who stood in a stupor, staring at nothing and everything. Gwen looked up from fiddling with the hem of her skirt to see what the interruption had been and her heart leapt to her throat at the familiar sight. A pair of red rimmed blue eyes noticed this and traveled to her side of the room.

"So nice of you to join us," the teacher interjected. "Let me see your schedule and what's the excuse for being late on the first day?" He approached the awkward teen, hand outstretched.

After a delayed reaction the newcomer handed the man his schedule and in a calm voice offered, "I'm new, got lost." He shrugged laxly with his comment.

The Government teacher quirked an eyebrow and studied the paper for a bit before handing it back with a sigh. "Alright, have a seat where ever Duncan, and consider this your first warning and take it easy with the body spray, huh?" He turned away from the student and continued roll call.

Duncan ignored the man and unceremoniously plopped down in the desk behind Gwen, poking her playfully wearing a stupid grin. "Hey'a Sunshine. You gonna take notes for me, right?"

She choked on the stench of his body spray, he smelled like he dumped a whole bottle of Axe on himself! Before she had a chance to inform him of this, some kid in the seat next to them turned to Duncan in awe, as if the second coming had revealed itself to her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed in a hushed whisper. "You're Duncan!" Both he and Gwen were confused by this and neither answered, waiting to see if there was more to the outburst. Unfortunately, there was. "You were on that show and, and cheated on your girlfriend with," and it was like she just noticed the girl with dyed hair and steel toed boots, "No way!"

"Something you'd like to share?" The teacher snapped.

"That's Duncan from the Total Drama Series and-"

"That's nice, talk about it on your time which is in," he looked to the clock, "Thirty minutes."

"But-"

"I'm letting you pick where you want to sit, if these seating arrangements don't work out I will move you, that goes for everyone. Understand?"

That quieted the girl for a blessed five short minutes. By then, Duncan had his head resting in the crook of his arm staring aimlessly at a random point in space. It seemed he was about to fall asleep when the annoying girl's voice brought him back to reality.

"How could you cheat on Courtney with _her_?" There was no missing the note of disgust in her whiny voice.

Gwen rolled her eyes and Duncan grinned. He inhaled deeply, gaze still on the wall and replied very sternly, "It's not cheating if you don't bury your bone." He poked his blue haired friend again, taking way too much delight in seeing her squirm. "Gwen hasn't let me get that far." He paused for a second, picking his head up to wink at her. "Yet."

She was 96% sure that the heat creeping across her cheeks was a blush. "Keep dreaming, criminal."

"Please, no one can resist this." He pointed to himself, still with a broad grin.

"Well I can." She drew her attention away from him and tried to focus on what their teacher was saying.

The punk shrugged, getting bored of the game and for the first time turned toward the girl who had started the conversation. "How 'bout you?"

"Huh?" She seemed surprised at the sudden interest.

He suggestively wiggled his eyebrows. "You know what I mean Sweetheart."

At first it didn't seem like she did and when it finally clicked, her face twisted in horror which quickly turned to anger. "I'm not gonna be your sloppy second."

The hormonal male flashed another shit eating grin. "I don't think it matters what order you suck m-"

"Ha ha, okay Duncan I think that might be a bit much," Gwen interjected, cheeks deeply flushed. Honestly, what was it with teenage boys and sex? How did they function when that was all they ever seemed to think about?

"Jealous much? Don't worry, there's plenty to go around."

"Oh geez," she mumbled, rubbing her temples. There was no doubt this was going to be quite a year. "Better watch that ego, I don't think there's enough room for the both of you here."

He hummed pleasantly and laid his head back down, spiky green hair tickling the side of her pale arm sending an involuntarily shiver down her spine. The forgotten girl from earlier noticed this and sneered at Gwen, mouthing silent words the other teen couldn't decipher. The blue haired girl simply flipped her off and turned her attention back to the teacher.

She listened intently for about three seconds before something-or rather some_one_-gently tapped her boot. Looking down she saw that Duncan's leg stretched over into her personal space and the tip of his Converse was touching her foot. She kicked his foot away but he moved it back, and nuzzled deeper into his arm rubbing stiff hair against her arm. Brown eyes shifted to look at him and she was positive he was smiling.

"I know you're not asleep," she quietly whispered turning back to the lecture. He didn't answer and she actually forgot about him.

Government dragged, something about the morning classes always made them seem longer than the others. Even the attentive, eager-to-learn Gwen was having trouble staying interested. Unlike her first period teacher who put emphasis on team building, this guy was already handing out assignments and writing notes on the board. Behind her, Duncan snored softly and she was having thoughts about doing the same.

"Alright guys, the bell's about to ring, be sure to have your parents' sign that form and return it tomorrow for a pass on the quiz."

"A quiz on the second day?" a groggy voice questioned.

"Here," Gwen handed him the signature form. The punk took it and stuffed it in a pocket without a second glance. "That's a nice place to put things," she playfully joked as the bell sounded.

He shrugged as he got to his feet. "I think I'm gonna ditch tomorrow."

"What?" she asked, gathering her binder and walking with him to the door. "Why? Like you said, it's only the second day."

There was a twinkle in his eye when he responded. "I have my reasons. Where ya headed to?" He _accidently_ bumped into a freshman with an oversized backpack, causing the boy to fight for balance.

"Um, I have to go to the Technology Building."

"Oh." He continued walking beside her. "I think that's where I have to go too."

They squeezed through a door and managed to make it outside, passing briefly through a shaded walkway and entering the Technology Building. The building was smaller and sat off from the rest of the school to house the louder, out of the usual electives such as welding, automotive and FFA. Though it did suck having to walk through snow in the winter…twice last year Gwen had almost slipped on the slick floor, and once she did the splits.

She stopped outside her classroom and eyed him. "You didn't have to walk me to class, you know."

He chuckled lightly but stopped when he caught sight of the proudly displaced engines inside the class. "You're in auto?" She nodded somewhat embarrassed. "That is so hot."

"Um…"

Duncan swung his arm her shoulders in an uncomfortable side hug and escorted her into the room. "Now we've got two classes together!"

***

Turned out they had two classes and lunch together. After a fast two hours in Auto, the pair headed back to the main building and parted ways. At North Ridge High fifth period and homeroom were the same and where the student was during that time determined what lunch they had. There were four lunches at the school, each lasting roughly thirty minutes. So there was a twenty-five percent chance that she'd have the same lunch as him.

Unbeknownst to Gwen, she obviously had some sort of homing device implanted at an early age because once she settled down at an empty picnic table with a burnt slice of pizza, who else had shown up with a plate of chili cheese fries, a bag of cheetos and slice of pizza? He sat opposite her at the table and began to go to town on his food.

"My Sunshine," he asked through a mouthful of pizza and fries, "what you been up to? You never wrote me like you promised."

She sighed, picking off the pepperoni with sudden interest. "Sorry about that. I just figured you'd forgotten about me."

He snorted, sounding insulted. "Please, I have reoccurring nightmares about that damn show and everyone on it."

"Nice, so you have nightmares about me?"

"Hey you were the one who didn't write."

"Ouch."

Duncan gently kicked her foot. "You know I'm just kidding right?" She nodded, still not looking up from inspecting the pepperoni. "And I don't have nightmares about you, you gave me wet dreams for a year." He watched happily as she turned pink, it was so fun to make her blush.

"You're so gross. No naughty dreams about Princess?"

His smirk grew. "Who?"

That got her attention. "What?" She searched his blue eyes for a hint of tomfoolery but found none. "You serious?"

"You're a smart girl, but I thought you would've figured it out sooner."

Her face contorted in confusion. "I don't get it, you were crazy for her." She pushed aside the uneaten pizza and leaned on her elbows.

Opening the cheetos, he shoved a handful down his throat and raised an eyebrow. "I was crazy for one thing and once I got it she wasn't all that interesting anymore."

"She dumped you, didn't she?"

"No, I dump girls not the other way around."

She swopped a soggy fry and chewed carefully. "Uh huh, so she dumped you."

"Didn't you hear what I said? She two timed me for Justin and I dumped her." He finished off the cheetos and tossed the bag to the ground.

Gwen held back a grin, relieved Courtney was out of the picture. Not that she had a problem with the CIT, but damn she was just so overbearing. "Kinda ironic huh, she gave you shit for our relationship and look what she did." She giggled gently but stopped, noticing her friend's downcast expression. "Hey," she touched his wrist and met his eyes, "it's her loss."

Duncan took hold of her small hand in his large one, rolling a thumb over her knuckles in an unbelievably tender gesture. Her complexion darkened and her brown eyes drifted to the digit moving along her hand. "Yeah, ain't it the truth." He released her hand. "So, what you doing after school?"

Stunned, she limply pulled her hand back more than aware of how loud her heart was pounding. "Nothing." The bell dinged, sounding the start of third lunch.

"Sounds fun." She didn't respond. "Want to watch a scary movie?"

Her ears perked, forgetting his unusual actions. "Hell yeah, what is it?"

"I've got a few in my truck…sort of procured them the other night." His eyes gleamed mischievously at that statement. "Satan's Spawn and The Night My Guts Got Sucked Out, are just a few of them."

"Yes!" she exclaimed loudly, startling both Duncan and herself. "Ahem, I mean…that would be great." She flipped open her binder to a clean white sheet and scribbled down an address. "Here," she tore the paper loose and handed it to him. "Don't lose it and I put my number just in case you get lost."

Unlike with the parental signature form, he took a few moments to look it over. "Alright." He grinned. "You're off after fifth huh?" She nodded. "See you at one-thirty then and have some popcorn ready." He slammed his hands on the table and pushed himself up.

"Gonna walk me to class again Duncan?" she asked as she stood and started heading to the building.

He laughed briskly and pulled her closer, already getting use to the feel of his arm over her. "Anything for my Sunshine."

She elbowed the green haired teen's side. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're flirting with me."

Blue eyes dropped to her level and he peaked down her shirt, enjoying the view before looking into her brown orbs. _How red would she turn if I kissed her?_ A part of him wanted to, he had thought about her constantly for the past year but at the same time another part insisted it was too early and he should take it slow. "What can I say?" he breathed out airily. "I just can't help it around pretty ladies." He squeezed her tightly outside her class, enjoying the pink tint to her cheeks. "See ya in a bit." His arm dropped from her shoulders.

"Yeah, later Duncan."

Gwen stepped into the class after watching him disappear down the hall. She sat heavily in an empty chair, not seeing much outside the fact that she was getting herself into no good. Duncan was her friend, a good friend and that's all she wanted him to be, but she had this nagging feeling that by graduation they would be much more. She buried her head in her hands, what was she getting into?

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(A/N: Hope this chapter lived up to the anticipation. And once again, I want to thank everyone for the wonderful comments. Till next time!)


	3. Chapter Two: Solitary

(A/N: Hm, yes enjoy. Just a heads up, probably won't update for awhile...)

Disclaimer: Ugh, no still don't have any claim on them.

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Chapter Two

Solitary

A green haired teen thumbed through a wad of cash, counting each note carefully as he absently leaned against the door of his pickup. Content with the amount, he stuffed the money into a worn red and black skull wallet while another stratified customer made a slow inconspicuous retreat, as if moving too fast would tip off the school cop. He grinned, loving it when illegal activities literally went down right under the enforcements' noses. Duncan rose his arm and waved jauntily at the officer before scrambling into the lifted cab. Cracking his knuckles once, he then shifted into gear and drove the rumbling beast out of the lot.

Ten minutes later, Duncan slowly ventured down a dead end street glancing at the house numbers and the paper with Gwen's address. He finally found the house, last one on the right with a white car parked neatly in the driveway. The object of his current interest sat in the brittle grass working away at a sketch book. He pulled the truck alongside the curb and killed the engine.

"Hey," he called, exiting the old Ford and swinging a small duffle bag over his shoulder. She didn't acknowledge him and he cautiously approached, as if the yard might be booby trapped. "What'cha drawing?" The boy looked to the book but before he could focus on the image, she snapped it shut.

"Hey," she said, finally noticing him and sticking a hand out.

He grasped it and effortlessly pulled the girl to her feet. She smiled and opened her mouth to speak but stopped, taking note of something behind him. Eyes going large as her sweet smile turned to a frown. Curious as to what changed her mood so fast, Duncan glanced over his shoulder. He didn't see anything other than a house with a For Sale sign and a mangy cat slinking along the road.

"Cat got your tongue?" he asked, turning back to her. Suddenly and without warning or provocation she punched him in the arm, hard. "Whoa, what was that for?" Feigning injury, he pouted and rubbed the spot where she'd hit him.

"You jerk! You cut me off this morning!"

"Uh…"

Exasperated, she pointed to her car and then to the truck. He followed her finger but it still didn't provide any clarity. "That was my parking spot." Oh, now he remembered but he still didn't care. "You almost hit me!"

At that moment he decided she had nice breasts, they had most certainly gotten larger over the year. She was saying something but the words were lost on him, his full attention captivated by the way her chest heaved. Nice. Very nice. The girl stopped her rant realizing he wasn't listening and quirked an eyebrow, crossing her arms over the center of his concentration. Needless to say, that snapped him out of it.

"Hm, oh yeah whatever babe, I'll buy you ice cream."

"Wha-"

"C'mon let's go watch these," he jostled the bag, "getting kinda heavy."

She sighed, and led him up through the yard and to the house. "It's kinda small," she spoke quietly, almost ashamed and opened the door. At once, they were greeted with the tall staircase to the upper level. "Keep your shoes on." She motioned to the stripped wooden floor beyond the four by four patch of tile. "We're redoing the floors, and it's not sealed yet."

"Remodeling?"

Gwen nodded, taking him through the adjoining living room and into the kitchen. "Only it takes about two years to do one thing." The girl placed her sketch book on the fake oak table and went to the pantry, producing a bag of popcorn. "Yes?" She held the bag up and he nodded eagerly. "My room's over there." She pointed with her head as she threw the popcorn in the microwave. "I'll be there in," the appliance beeped as she entered the timing, "three minutes, thirty seconds."

"There aren't any, uh, girlie things lying around right?"

"Shouldn't be."

Some disappointment. "Ah, okay good." He left her alone in the kitchen, letting himself in the dark bedroom.

He had to admit, Gwen's room wasn't what he expected. When he first met her, he assumed that her room would be like the clichéd vampire/gothic ones in all those lame movies; complete with black walls, red curtains and haphazard candles littered about. Instead it was just the opposite, the parts of the wall that weren't covered in her paintings was a stark white. There were no randomly placed candles and the curtains were an ugly checkered blue that matched the bedspread.

A cherry wood desk was pushed to one corner with various art supplies strewn on the surface and the area around the desk had droplets of paint on the carpet. Her bed lined the wall with the single window, a tall matching dresser occupied the other corner and a rickety entertainment stand sat next to the door. CDs lined the shelves of the stand and he set the bag down, dropping to one knee to inspect the selection; he didn't recognize any of them.

Getting to his full height, he began admiring the numerous murals. They were, disturbing to say the least and how that girl slept without getting nightmares was beyond him. On one wall was the image of the grim reaper, eyes burning red and reaching a slender finger toward a small child. There was a skeletal unicorn on another wall, flesh rotting from its body with bloody hoof prints trailing behind. He looked to the ceiling and saw she had painted a full moon complete with stars and scattered storm clouds. That made him grin, she did love the stars.

One in particular, however, scared the shit out of him, it was Gwen…or who he assumed to be her. Who else would have blue and black hair? It was only half painted with a few brushes and paint tubes abandoned near it. He took a closer look, dropping to his knees again. She sat facing forward, hands folded neatly on her lap and wearing a cute smile. Behind her though, was the beginning of an animalistic form penciled on the stucco. The teen leaned further, squinting to make out the thin marks. It had the features of a wolf although seemed more demon, its mouth wide open with thick threads rushing her. Already she had drawn them wrapped around her neck and arms, adding (what he understood was) blood dripping from the wounds. Below the image she had painted in slanting cursive: _It Strikes in the Dark._ He read and reread the words, trying to figure out the meaning and didn't notice the strong aroma of popcorn.

Gwen stood behind her friend munching on popcorn and just staring at him studying the unfinished painting. "You like it?" she finally voiced. He jumped slightly and turned big blue eyes to her. "It's not done yet." She went to the duffle bag and started sorting through the movies.

"No shit…" He cleared his throat. "I don't like it."

"Oh?" She settled on a movie and popped it in the DVD player, flicking the TV on. "Why?" The opening credits began to play and she hopped on the bed, propping a pillow beneath her chin.

Duncan leaned against her bed, stretching his legs. "I have my reasons."

Pale light flickered off Gwen's face. "I'd like to hear them. I never get any good critiques on my work."

He grabbed the popcorn from her and thought for a moment while he chewed. "I think," he started, "it's too…" He knew he couldn't tell her the truth. "It's too emo." Silence, then:

"WHAT?"

He laughed. "You heard me." A pillow sailed through the air at him. "Better watch it emo girl."

"I'm gonna kill you if you say that again."

"Emo gir-ah!"

She pounced on him, tackling him to the hard carpet and wrestling him into submission. There was no doubt he was letting her get the upper hand, he wasn't even trying. Instead, he waited for an opening and tickled her madly once he found it. She shrieked and fruitlessly smacked his hands away from her side. The boy flipped her onto her back, straddling her waist as he drummed his fingers over small ribs.

"Say uncle," he demanded cheerfully.

"Uncle, uncle!"

Her laughter was like music and he didn't want it to stop. "Now say, 'I'm so emo'."

She couldn't get enough air to form words and shook her head madly in response. Bucking her hips, she tried to get him off. He lost his balance and stumbled forward, catching himself before head-butting her, their noses centimeters from touching. Realizing their present position, Duncan stopped laughing and gazed into Gwen's wide eyes as he slowly inched closer.

A foxy grin tugged at the corner of his mouth and he wriggled his eyebrows in a way only he could. "Kind of an awkward situation we're in, huh darling?"

Something evil flashed through her eyes. "No, not really."

Her knee suddenly contacted with a very sensitive spot on the male anatomy and he gasped loudly, clutching his stomach in pain. He collapsed in a ball on her chest, groaning softly and cursing her beneath his breath. The girl then rolled him off with little resistance and flattened her ruffled skirt.

Gwen glared at him curled in the fetal position. "I am not emo." She hovered over him dangerously and jabbed a finger to his head. "Get it through your thick skull. I do not sit in a corner listening to Linkin Park, crying and cutting myself with a butter knife."

"I was just kidding babe," he wheezed through clenched teeth.

"Well, now you know. Next time, I'll hit you so hard children won't be in your future."

He just couldn't help himself. "You don't want kids?"

Her mouth dropped. "What?"

Pain subsiding, he pushed himself up and gave her a tactful smirk. "But my darling, don't you want to have my babies?"

After turning red she promptly smacked him in the head with a pillow.

***

September air rushed to greet the teens as Gwen escorted Duncan to his truck, the street lights glowing brightly down the deserted road. A breeze prickled her skin and she looked around, perturbed at having to be alone at night. Her brother had called to say he was spending the night at a friend's and her mother wouldn't be home for another few hours. As if on cue, a car alarm blared in the distance and she made a point to have the dog sleep in her room tonight.

"Scared of the dark?" Duncan asked, tossing the duffel bag in the cab.

She shook her head. "No."

"Hm, I'm not convinced."

The blue and black haired girl shrugged. "Just paranoid I guess. Someone like you might try to crawl in through my window," she joked with him.

He had a good laugh about that. "Aw come on, you took on an escaped mass murderer, I'm pretty sure you can handle yourself."

"Guess I forgot."

"If you want," he closed the distance between them and wrapped an arm around her waist, "I could spend the night."

She pushed him away and made a face of disgust. "I don't think so."

"Suit yourself." The punk stepped close once more to give his friend a hug. She stiffened immediately but relaxed after a second and returned the favor, entangling her arms around his neck. "Nighty-night my darling."

"Hm, yeah, good night Duncan." She pulled back slightly and stared into those piercing blue eyes of his. Smiling, she leaned on tippy toes and planted a small kiss on his cheek. Gwen froze when she realized what she was doing and quickly pulled out of his grasp, and found the cracked asphalt with interest, looking anywhere but his eyes and shit-eating grin.

He touched the spot where she'd kissed him as if he'd been bitten and then right on cue, grinned like a stupid fool. She'd be eating out of his hand in no time. "Is there any more where that came from?"

She still refused to meet his eyes. "Oh shut up."

The boy leaned to her level and planted a chaste smooch on her cheek as well. "Wanna ditch tomorrow?" She shook her head. "Don't know what you're missing." He hopped into the truck and slammed the door with a hollow bang. The Ford roared to life and he rolled the window down. "Same time same place?"

Gwen finally looked at him, the initial embarrassment over. "Scary movies?" He nodded. "Yeah, I guess we can make it a habit."

"Just what I wanted to hear. Good night sweetie, now get your little butt inside."

For some reason, Gwen obeyed him. Casting one last wave, she turned and walked through the grass to the front door. A final glance over her shoulder and she stepped inside, listening to his noisy departure.

* * *

(A/N: If anyone is confused what the chapter title has to do with anything...well nothing. Just happens to be whatever I'm listening to when I finish a chapter. Kudos to whomever can figure out who signs/composed it.)


	4. Chapter Three: Wrong Way

(A/N: Sorry about the wait…but you know, funny thing about life and how it just beats the shit out of you at random intervals. Please note the heavy drug reference, and know that by no means am I trying to INFLUENCE anyone. Okay, that's out of the way.)

Disclaimer: I don't even feel like coming up with anything clever…it still hasn't changed from the previous chapters and it won't change with this one or any of the following.

* * *

Chapter Three  
Wrong Way

September green leaves transformed into the deep rich colors of fall as the month faded ushering in the crispness of October. The change was noticeable immediately, if not for the reds and oranges, then for that familiar scent in the air, one that could only be describe as a mixture of apples and dry flora. Early morning frost clung to the dying grass, a sure sign of the snow to come within the next few weeks. The peachy-pinkness of seven a.m. skies was diluted ever so slightly with certain haziness from the night before. In a single word, the view was enchanting.

A teenager attempted to capture all the details of this moment on her trusty sketchbook. Her skin prickled from the cold through thin sweatpants and an equally light jacket didn't take any of the bite away; however, it was wholly worth it. For her to be up this early on a Sunday was rare, and one never knew how many mild October mornings were promised, the month had a nasty habit of pulling 360s, snowing one week and the next with temperatures in the 70s.

Her eyes frequently rose from the paper, working in unison with nibble fingers that clutched a pencil but she couldn't find her artist niche. The teen's mind wandered until she blindly stared at the paper with nothing more than a few light grey marks. Absentmindedly, she started sketching a rough head, added a Mohawk and only realized what she was doing when piercings began to take shape. Yep, she had delinquency on the brain.

Gwen sighed and closed the book, tucking the pencil behind her ear. She pulled her knees close and stared vacantly from her vantage point on the fold out lounge chair as the teen's mind began reflecting on the events of the past few weeks. Duncan and her had revived their friendship to something a bit stronger than what they had on TDA. It unsettled her as she found herself thinking more and more of him in ways that made her heart race.

He was definitely rubbing off on her in small but noticeable ways. The girl grew more lax in her studies and it wasn't unusual for her to miss a few classes or a few days. It started innocently enough; he had cornered her before school and insisted she be his partner in crime for the day. While she put up some resistance to the idea of missing all the excitement of school, with some tough persuasion she eventually consented. After getting over the first hurdle of 'yes' it just got more agreeable every time the subject of ditching came up. So far she had an unimpressive three absences, though when compared to last year's entire total of one…yeah it was a lot.

Her mom was in the dark about that of course, she'd blow a gasket if she found out her daughter's school work was jeopardized. The woman didn't mind her daughter having an ex-con for a best friend or even that they watched movies unsupervised (alone) in her room, so long as school wasn't affected. Gwen's mother hadn't furthered her education past high school and though she was doing okay with the income she made, it wasn't enough to send two-let alone one-child to college. Unless they were to be awarded a scholarship, steep student loans with high interest were in their futures and the single mom was having none of that.

Twirling a piece of hair around her fingertip, she reasoned it wasn't that bad. She was just having a little fun, the fun she'd missed out on most of her high school career. What was the harm in ditching a few days? She'd have to grow up soon enough only to be sucked into the monotony of adulthood. If anyone deserved to have some fun it was definitely Gwen and as long as her grades didn't slip there was no reason to worry. Should worse come to worse, taking a year off of schooling to work and save money didn't seem like a bad idea either.

Content with her convictions, the girl gathered her sketch book and headed to the warmth of the house, deciding to get a few more hours of sleep.

* * *

Suspicious plumes of smoke hung low over a small group of teenage boys currently indulging in the finer things in life…such as skipping third hour to smoke-out in an alley. Duncan leaned comfortably against a wooden fence as he listened to a few of his friends talk about nothing in general, being more concerned about who was hogging the joint. He could've sworn he hadn't had a hit in over a minute, though in everyone else's defense, the boy lost track of time quite easily in his present state. Finally he noticed they were all out. Oh well, time to break out his secret stash-not that he planned on sharing mind you.

The background conversation slowly turned toward the topic of hot girls and who had hooked up with who. Ignoring the occasional chuckles and innuendos, he reached into his pocket and withdrew his own pipe and supplies. Stupidly grinning at all the goodness he so craved, he quickly packed the bowl and fired it up. It burned his throat on the way down but it was so worth it, exhaling happily he tried to stay on with the conversation as he nursed his pipe. After what felt like hours (but was probably more along the lines of a few minutes) he started to space out.

"-with that chick yet?"

"-really kinky, huh?"

"I'd do her-"

He heard bits and pieces but since it wasn't directed at him and didn't know who they were talking about he didn't add to the topic. Taking another hit, he glanced around with glazed eyes momentarily forgetting who some of these guys were. In fact, he honestly couldn't remember their names.

A bald kid elbowed him, breaking his…not so concentration. "Dude, have you got with that chick yet?" Then he noticed the pipe. "Hey let me hit that."

Duncan handed it over but didn't answer the vague question. He had his eye on several different girls…though he hadn't decided which one he was going to pursue first. The blonde in English was high on the list but she was a prude and not likely to put out fast enough. There was also the hoe in Government and even though she had it out for Gwen, Duncan was never one to pass up something so easy; however something told him she'd be the psycho type when it came time to being dumped. There were plenty more but in his current state it was hard to remember them.

"So, dude have you tapped it yet?"

The whole vagueness of the topic was starting to wear on his nerves to the point it was killing his buzz. "Who the hell are you talking about?"

The fat kid clarified it in the simplest of layman terms. "That hot goth chick you always hang with."

Though it shouldn't matter what some fat, pimply faced moron (or anyone else for that matter) thought of Gwen, it still gave his ego the tiniest of boosts with the group's positive opinion of her. He'd always known she was hot, but having others agree made it more real and gave her extra points. These guys wanted her, but only Duncan could have her. Oh, it was just too delicious to pass up.

Duncan grinned, making a gesture of superiority to the others. "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't."

Several members of the group rolled their eyes and muttered remarks that would seem derogatory and insulting if not mentioned within a group of guy friends. Someone pointed to Duncan's spiked collar and the group shared a knowing nod.

"She lead you around on a leash?"

He only shrugged a look of amusement in his eyes as he neither confirmed nor truthfully denied the question. Despite his image, deep down he really wasn't a bad guy and he would never stoop so low as to start rumors that Gwen was more than a friend.

"Why would I tell you losers?" Then, "Give me my pipe back." He didn't so much as wait for it as he snatched it back, only to stare dejectedly at the empty bowl. "Man, you guys fucking suck."

* * *

"So, why weren't you in class today?" Gwen asked her friend over a slice of pizza during lunch hour.

The boy in question raised an eyebrow as he sipped a Coke. "You miss me or something? I'm touched really." He put his hand to his heart and fluttered his eyelids.

The only thing that saved Duncan from getting a fist full of fries was the fact that Gwen honestly thought he looked adorable. A small smile tried to find its way out but she held it back and pressed forth with the subject. "Hardly," she took another uninterested bite and chewed thoughtfully, thinking of a comeback. "More like I got paired up with Freddy for the assignment in Auto and that guy's a freak."

He instantly placed the name and silently agreed with her. The dude reminded Duncan of Trent so naturally there was tension. "Want me to rig a hydraulic lift and have a car fall on him?" He pondered another idea for a second, making a sound in the back of his throat as he scratched his tuff of hair and adding, "Or maybe he could 'accidently' ingest some anti-freeze? Heard that stuff is wicked."

She didn't respond for a few moments, because she was pretty sure he wasn't kidding around. "Duncan, what's your problem?" He faulted for a second. "You can't just jump from petty misdemeanors to a felony like that!" She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "You have to slowly work your way up."

Sharing a laugh the two became quiet and focused on lunch; Duncan on how much he could cram down his throat and Gwen on trying not to gag from the undercooked pizza and sight of the punk's nonexistent table manners.

"Hey, Gwen?"

"Hm, yeah?"

He cleared his throat and took another swig from the soda, cotton mouth was no joke. "I was thinking, let's go down to Niagara Falls before it starts snowing out. You know, hit up some of the haunted houses."

"Duncan, I can't ditch anymore…" It was true, another absence and she would have to make it up by spending a Saturday morning studying in the cafeteria.

"Ah come on, one more day won't kill ya and promise to be right there during Saturday school." He smiled at her, knowing how to get his way. "You know you can't resist my blue eyes, they're your favorite color."

Gwen sighed and pushed her half eaten pizza toward him, watching as he made quick work of it. "I don't know, I don't really want to have to come in on a Saturday…plus my mom has no idea I've been ditching."

"And smoking out…"

She frowned as he added that little piece of information. Yes, Gwen had finally given into his pleas and smoked her first joint with the punk a few weeks ago. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Once she got over the paranoia that someone would notice, she found the act of engaging in that recreation rather enjoyable. Duncan teased her that she laughed like a mouse, with a series of high pitched laughs but other than that, what was the harm?

"Yes, that too…" She grabbed the empty soda can from Duncan, hoping there'd be enough for her.

"So, is that a yes?"

Gwen grinned, the bell ringing in the background as a new flood of students flowed into the picnic area. "Yeah, of course. You know just what to say."

Duncan high fived his best friend, as the wheels in his head began to turn. He had other ideas planned besides just running through a few haunted houses and purchasing a new bong. No, there was one place in particular he wanted to take her, but he wouldn't let her in on that just yet. "Tomorrow morning, I'll pick you up for school. That way you can tell your mom you're spending the night at my house."

Her brows furrowed together and she crossed her legs. "How long we going to be down there?"

Duncan shrugged. "That's a surprise Sunshine."

"Okay." She gathered her books and got to her feet, Duncan following suit. "Hey, and you promised that you'll go to Saturday school with me!" There was his trademark smile again and that now familiar flutter in her heart when he answered.

"Sunshine, I would never lie to you."


End file.
